A Chemist's Interstellar Saga

Chapter 219: Poor Quinnie
Chapter 219: Poor Quinnie

Maybe there’s something about getting fed that just makes it hard to stay mad at someone.

Ever since that meal, Quinnie hadn’t grumbled about Zane anymore. In fact, she’d even stepped in to save him a few times when things got rough.

Zane was strong, with the skills of a trained soldier, but he always tried to shield Quinnie, which ended up making him a prime target for wild animals.

”Zane, be careful! What if you mess up your hands and can’t make me food anymore?” Quinnie shouted, blocking yet another wild creature with an irritated edge to her voice.

”My bad. I’ll be more careful next time,” Zane replied calmly.

Over the past few days, he’d gotten a good read on Quinnie’s temper. Whether he was in the right or not, it was easier to just agree with her and keep things smooth.

Hearing Zane’s promise, Quinnie puffed up with satisfaction, dropping her anger just as quickly as it had flared up.

It seemed Zane was the only one who could manage her fiery personality. If it had been Arix instead, she’d probably have told her to get the hell out of her sight.

As the sky dimmed into dusk, the wild animals that had been attacking them suddenly pulled back, like they were following some unseen command. They took a few steps away, then bolted off into the distance.

Once they were sure the coast was clear, Quinnie and Zane let out matching sighs of relief. The day’s battle was over, and it was time for their usual meal.

This time, Zane didn’t just stick to roast things. He had picked some fresh fruit for Quinnie and brewed a cup of tea using leaves from a nearby tree.

When he served it up, he filtered out any stray leaves and even peeled the fruit for her.

Quinnie, like royalty, casually accepted Zane’s care. He didn’t mind one bit and even saved the best bites for her.

”Not bad, but the meat’s a little bland,” Quinnie commented, trying to sound tough while enjoying every bite.

Zane smiled, warm and patient, and promised to add more salt next time.

After they were full and content, Quinnie was ready to call it a night.

Their sleeping arrangements had come a long way from a few days ago when they were sleeping under the stars.

Zane had found a cave for them to stay in. If it had just been him, any tree would’ve done, but he wanted something better for Quinnie.

The cave was dry, probably a spot some animal had prepped for her young, but now it belonged to the two of them.

As always, Zane handed over his jacket for Quinnie to use as a blanket before finding a corner to sit in and catch some sleep.

But just as he was drifting off, Zane’s eyes snapped open, focusing on a shadowy figure in front of him.

He looked up, his gaze sharp, and saw something unexpected.

Quinnie stood there, breathing heavily, her face flushed. But her expression was anything but friendly.

”What did you put in that tea earlier?” Quinnie asked, glaring at Zane with clenched teeth. Her voice was hoarse, barely masking her frustration.

Zane, caught off guard by her strange demeanor, hesitated before answering, ”Passion Sprout tea. It’s supposed to refresh you and ease fatigue.”

Quinnie stared at Zane for a long moment, her expression hard to read. Then she clenched her jaw and started to stumble toward the cave’s entrance.

”Quinnie, what’s wrong?” Zane called after her, his concern quickly overshadowing his confusion as he hurried to follow.

”Stay away from me!” Quinnie shot back, her voice sharp with anger.

”You can barely stand! I can’t just leave you like this. What’s going on? Tell me, and I’ll help you,” Zane pleaded. He was still in the dark but increasingly worried that somehow, he had caused this.

”Help me? You really think I need YOUR help?” Quinnie spat, glaring at him. She wanted to hurl a curse his way but held it in. How could she possibly explain to this human that Passion Sprout worked like a potent aphrodisiac for her kind?

If Zane were a woman, Quinnie, or actually Quispe, might have just gone with the flow. But Zane was a man, and as a proud insectoid crown prince, Quispe couldn’t allow himself to give in to these urges with him.

”Quinnie, please, just tell me what’s happening!” Zane’s voice was full of worry as he noticed the sweat forming on her forehead. His face was etched with concern.

He was so wrapped up in worrying about her that he didn’t notice the changes happening to himself. But Quinnie, expecting this, quickly caught on as she saw Zane’s face start to flush.

When a male insectoid enters heat, they release a gas similar to pheromones that acts like an aphrodisiac. The signs were becoming clear: Zane’s grip on her hand was growing stronger, and his gaze was beginning to lose focus.

’Damn it.’

Realizing how bad things were getting, Quinnie shoved Zane away and tried to stagger toward the cave’s entrance. If she didn’t get away now, things would spiral out of control.

There was no way she was going to end up in a compromising position—either by taking advantage of a man or letting herself be taken advantage of!

Though the Passion Sprout had triggered her heat, she knew that soaking in lake water could help her ride it out. Fortunately, there was a lake nearby. If she could just reach it, she could salvage her dignity!

But she had underestimated both the Passion Sprout’s effect and Zane’s strength. The man who was usually so gentle and considerate suddenly became forceful, grabbing her from behind and pulling her into a firm embrace.

Being held so intimately by a man was a massive insult to Quinnie. She was just about to spin around and hurl some choice words at him when Zane’s hand gripped the back of her head, and he leaned in to kiss her.

Quinnie’s eyes widened in shock. For a moment, she didn’t know whether to focus on her painfully twisted neck or stopping Zane’s tongue from invading her mouth.